1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices and systems for controlling water movement in maritime environments, and more specifically to a floating breakwater having one or more baffles or skirt walls depending therefrom.
2. Description of the Related Art
Breakwaters for the control of wave action in order to prevent damage or destruction of shoreline property and/or environment have been known for a considerable period of time. Perhaps most such breakwaters are permanent installations formed of rock, concrete, scrapped automobiles and/or ships, or other reasonably economical and durable materials.
It was discovered that it is not necessary to construct a breakwater that extends up from the sea floor, as wave action is typically confined to the upper strata of the water. Accordingly, it has been found that reasonably large floats can also provide the desired attenuation of wave action, when provided with the proper characteristics and moored in appropriate locations.
Waves have two primary properties, i.e., wavelength and amplitude. In order to attenuate the waves, the floating breakwater must have a span, i.e., a dimension extending in the direction of wave travel, typically on an order of the wave length, for example. A greater span is generally more effective. Moreover, the floating breakwater must have a reasonably deep draft to extend to a depth at least equal to the amplitude of the waves, if not to a greater depth. Also, a hydrodynamic resistive shape is desirable, rather than a more streamlined shape.
Accordingly, the typical floating breakwater is in the form of a rectangular solid, as can have a generally hollow interior, due to its ease of construction and high hydrodynamic resistance. However, most such floats have relatively shallow drafts and spans, i.e., they do not extend below the surface of the water to a significant degree and do not extend to a significant fraction of the wavelength. Thus, even when the floating breakwater is moored securely to the sea floor or to a floor of a body of water, wave propagation typically cannot be reduced significantly if the wave action extends beneath the floating breakwater. While it can be possible to construct floating breakwaters that are sufficiently large as to provide the desired degree of effectiveness, the cost of such breakwaters can be prohibitive when attempting to attenuate large waves and swells.
A number of different floating breakwater configurations have been developed in the past, as noted further above. An example is found in Japanese Patent Publication No. 61-176711 published on Aug. 8, 1986 to Hitachi Shipbuilding Eng. Co. This document describes a rectangular floating breakwater, with a wing connected to the leading side of the breakwater by connecting bars and hinges. When wave action moves the wing in a vertically rocking manner, a propulsion force is transmitted to the bars and the breakwater is pulled to offset some of the forces of the waves.
Thus, a floating breakwater addressing the aforementioned problems is desired.